Use of Cast Iron Pots to Improve Maternal Anemia

Stopped early · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Iron-deficiency Anemia

In brief

Anemia of pregnancy is defined as a hemoglobin concentration of less than 11 g/dL in the first and third trimesters, and less than 10.5 g/dL in the second trimester. The rates of anemia are variable and depend largely on preexisting iron stores and supplementation. Estimates from the World Health Organization report that 35% to 75% of pregnant women in developing countries and 18% of women from industrialized countries are anemic. Maternal anemia is associated with an increased risk of preterm birth, low birthweight, and small for gestational age infants. Many studies have shown improvement in these outcomes with maternal iron supplementation in cases of iron-deficiency anemia. Mounting evidence also indicates that maternal iron deficiency in pregnancy reduces fetal iron stores, perhaps well into the first year of life. Anemia in pregnancy can also impact maternal morbidity and mortality. Viteri reported that anemic pregnant women are at greater risk of death during the perinatal period and that anemia is the major contributory or sole cause of death in 20-40% of the 500,000 maternal deaths per year. The need for iron averages close to 1000mg in a typical singleton gestation. This amount considerably exceeds the iron stores of most women and will result in iron-deficiency anemia unless supplemental iron is taken. One problem with iron supplement use is compliance, secondary to adverse effects such as constipation and nausea. Research on the use of cast iron pots in decreasing the incidence of iron-deficiency anemia in non-pregnant women has been promising. These studies have demonstrated good compliance with no reported adverse effects. The aim of our study is to determine if providing anemic women in the first trimester of pregnancy with a cast iron pot will decrease the incidence of anemia later in pregnancy. Hypothesis: Cooking in cast iron pots will increase hematocrit levels in pregnancy.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT02341300

Run by

Weill Medical College of Cornell University

People needed

34

Starts

2020-07-15

Expected to finish

2020-07-15

Last updated by the study team

2020-07-30

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 50. Sex: female. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Pregnant women of any age in their first trimester of pregnancy with anemia defined as a Hemoglobin less than 11 and/or a hematocrit less than 33
• Willingness and ability to cook in provided cast iron pot at least 3x/week
• Singleton gestations

You may not qualify if…

• Any secondary cause of anemia including inherited and acquired hemolytic anemias (sickle cell disease, thalessemia, malaria, etc) Inability or unwillingness to try to use cast iron pot approximately 3x/week
• Women with severe chronic illness and high likelihood of preterm birth and/or expected long-term hospitalizations during pregnancy. Multifetal gestations

Where it is running

• New York Prebyterian Hospital Weill Cornell — New York, New York, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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